Developer- and Publisher-specific Articles: Kalypso Media

Virtual traders will be able to tighten their hold on the sea trade with the release of Rise of Venice – Gold Edition. The set, available digitally today and in stores on August 26, includes the base game, the Beyond the Sea expansion, and both DLC packs, Steamship and Sea Monsters. The expansion widens the playable area as far as Gibraltar as well as adds 13 new cities, new residence missions, special Doge tasks, and the NAO ship class.

After yesterday’s release of the PC physical version of Tropico 5, a new patch has gone live. The 1.03 update adds three new maps for sandbox mode and six new dynasty member costumes, detailed below, as well as addresses several performance issues and bugs. Specifically, problems with trade route contracts expiring have been fixed along with performance of service buildings, trees remaining after the destruction of nearby logging camps, and the rebuild construction feature not working.

Kalypso has announced that they will be giving away Tropico 5’s first DLC pack to PC gamers who pick up the physical copy, which will hit store shelves tomorrow. The add-on, titled The Big Cheese, will be unlocked automatically when it goes live later this summer. The extra is a thank-you bonus from the publisher because of the physical version being pushed back due to a manufacturing delay.

El Presidente has decided to bestow the PC gaming populace with his presence today with the release of Tropico 5. Available online through Steam and Kalypso, and in stores on June 3, Tropico 5 adds dynasties, new research trees, new technology, improved trading mechanics, and exploration. Multiplayer is supported for up to four players in both co-op and competitive modes

Kalypso has announced that pre-order and launch copies of Tropico 5 will be available as Limited Special Edition versions. The physical and digital releases will include different goodies. The boxed copies will come with a special avatar costume for El Presidente, the Bayo del Olfato sandbox map, and two physical extras (a Tropico passport and postcard). The digital version is currently on Steam for 10% off and offers the Businessman avatar costume and Isla de Vapor sandbox map. The Steam version will also receive additional bonuses depending on the number of pre-orders. For those looking to save extras cash, pre-ordering through the Kalypso Launcher offers a 15% discount.

Another update has hit for the Steam Early Access version of Longbow’s Hegemony Rome: The Rise of Caesar. The new download adds campaign Chapter 4 (Men Believe What They Wish), which pits Rome’s final dictator against the fabled Gallic leader Vercingetorix, rebalances siege mechanics, addresses problems with group formations, and fixes several bugs. The new features are still being worked on, so be sure to keep an eye on the forum.

El Presidente will be bestowing his despotic talents on the peoples (and players) of Tropico 5 when it releases for PC on May 23. The Mac and Xbox 360 versions will be available this summer, and the PS4 version will launch afterwards this fall. A new website has also gone live to offer interested tyrants a better look at the game, and the Ministry of Propaganda also sent along some new screenshots for the further glorification of the island nation and to fully display its undeniable might.

The Senate has extended Caesar’s command in Gaul today, courtesy of Longbow Games. The Steam Early Access version of the studio’s in-development title Hegemony Rome: The Rise of Caesar has received its second major update. The download includes a number of bug fixes, improves enemy combat AI, and adds some new features as well as the third chapter of the campaign. The full list of additions and changes, as well as a new developer walkthrough, is available below.

El Presidente is calling upon his loving people to assist him by taking part in a beta for Tropico 5. Through his minions at Kalypso, he has proclaimed that registration is now open for fellow would-be despots to sign up for the program, which is set to kick off next month. Chosen applicants will get to try their hand at several of the new features being introduced in 5, including dynasties as well as co-op and versus online play.

The next entry in Longbow’s Hegemony series, The Rise of Caesar, will be joining Steam Early Access on February 12. As part of the program, players will be able to purchase the title at a discounted price and try the campaign’s first two chapters and most of the features, offering an estimated 12 hours of gameplay. Longbow will also be hosting a walkthrough of the game on their Twitch.tv channel on February 12 at 3 PM (CST) and on 13 at 7 PM (CST). Questions can be submitted to Longbow and publisher Kasedo beforehand on Kasedo’s Facebook page and during the demonstrations via the hashtag #Hegemony_Live at @KasedoGames on Twitter, both sets will be answered after the stream.